FBI offers $10,000 reward to stop laser targeting of aircraft

The FBI has launched an awareness campaign about the dangers of pointing lasers at aircrafts, with rewards for information about the practice that has been on the increase in Indianapolis, until possibly dropping off this year.

According to the FBI, there were 44 such incidents in 2012 and 65 in 2013, an increase of 47 percent. Through May 15, Indianapolis had recorded 19 such incidents, said Wendy Osborne, spokeswoman for the Indianapolis FBI office.

Most of incidents probably involved aircraft flying into or out of the Indianapolis International Airport, but at least one — at about 6:45 p.m. Aug. 27, 2013 — involved a WRTV-6 news helicopter flying over Indianapolis' Southeast side.

Shining a laser into the cockpit of an aircraft can temporarily blind a pilot and jeopardize the safety of everyone on board, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a news release.

As part of a national campaign, announced Tuesday, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of anyone who aims a laser at aircraft. The reward is available for 90 days in all 56 field offices.

Before deciding on the national campaign, the FBI piloted an initiative in the 12 cities where the problem was most severe — which did not include Indianapolis — and saw a significant reduction in the number of reported incidents, Osborne said.

The FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration began tracking laser strikes in 2005. Since then, reports of the deliberate targeting of aircraft by people with handheld lasers have gone up by more than 1,100 percent.

In 2013, there were 3,960 laser strikes reported nationwide, an average of almost 11 incidents per day.

They FBI said most laser strikes happen between midnight and 7 a.m., with the concentration occurring between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.

Anyone with information about a laser incident should contact the Indianapolis FBI office at (317) 595-4000. If you see someone pointing a laser at an aircraft, call 911. Tips also can be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov.